Fifth-wheel construction



7 r s. E. WISHARD FIFTH-WHEEL CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 19, 1923 Patented Dec. 23, 1924.

UNITED STATES SAMUEL E. WISHARD, .OF BAGDAD, CALIFORNIA.

FIFTH-WHEEL CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed November 19,1923. Serial No. 675,711.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. VVISHARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bagdad, in the county of San Bernardino and State of California, have invented a new and useful F ifth-lVheel Construction, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wagon constructions and aims to provide a novel fifth-wheel construction wherein movement of the front axle with respect to the body of the wheel will be restricted when the wheels mounted on the axle, contact with irregularities in a road surface.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will be influenced by the movement of the wagon tongue to release the holding means with the movement of the tongue permitting the wagon to be guided.

A still further object of the invention is to provide guides for the fifth-wheel to hold the fifth-wheel against lateral movement.

\Vith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing The figure illustrates a plan view of the device constructed in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail. the reference character 5 designates the front axle of a vehicle and on which is positioned the usual lower section of a fifth-wheel construction. The reference character 6 designates the upper or circular section of the fifth-wheel construction which is formed with a plurality of cut out portions 7, the sections 6 being however secured to the running gear of the wagon, in the usual and well known manner.

The front hounds of the running gear are indicated at 8 and have connection with the axle 5 in the usual way so that movement of the hounds 8 will result in a relative movement of the axle.

The rear ends of the hounds are connected by the bar 9 which is formed with a cut out portion 10 to receive the rear ends 11 of the tongue support 12, the rear ends 11 having pivotal connection with the operating rod 13 at 14:. This operating rod 13 has right angled end portions 16 disposed in the elongated openings 17 of the pivoted arms 18 which arms have connection with the arms 19 that are pivotally supported on the axle at 20.

Mounted on the arms 20 are rollers 21 that move in the cut out portions 7 to restrict movement of the tongue to be hereinafter more fully described, with respect to the fifth-wheel under normal conditions.

Coiled springs 22 are positioned on the rod 13 and have their inner ends anchored thereto as at 23, the opposite ends of the coiled springs bearing against the arms 24 to normally exert a pressure thereon and hold the rollers 21 in their active positions. The tongue is indicated at 25 and has pivotal connection with the tongue support through the medium of the transversely extending bolt 26, whereby movement of the tongue to guide the vehicle will result in a relative movement of the rod 14 to movethe predetermined roller to its inactive position.

Connecting the side bars of the tongue support is a bar 27 to which the hounds 8 have pivotal connection at 28 providing for the pivoted movement of the tongue with respect to the fifth-wheel construction.

The reference character 29 designates a reach bar which has connection with the fifth-wheel section 6 at 80 and has connect-ion with the axle 5 at 31, a transverse bracing bar being indicated at 32 to hold the forward end of the reach bar in position.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that under normal conditions, the roller 21 being positioned in the notches of the fifthwheel section 6 will normally hold" the axle 5 against rotary movement, but when prcssure is brought to bear on the tongue in a lateral direction or to the right as in turning the vehicle to the right, the rod 13 will be moved to the left to the end that the roller at the right hand side of the fifth-wheel construction will be moved out of engagement with the notches in which the same is positioned.

The roller at the opposite end of the rod 13 will automatically move over the teeth, the movement of the roller compressing the spring 22 associated therewith which normally urges the roller to its active position.

Guiding rollers 33 are mounted on the axle and extend upwardly therefrom, the rollers contacting with the outer edge of the fiftlrwheel construction to guide the same 5 and insure a true even movement thereof.

Vhat is claimed as new is In a fifth-Wheel construction, an axle, an upper fifth-wheel section having teeth formed on the inner edgev thereof, sliding latch members carrying rollers mounted on the axle, and adapted to engage betweenthe teeth,'levers pivotally supported on the' axle,

spring members disposed within the levers members to their inactive positions.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto ailixed my signature in the presence of two wltnesses.

SABIUEL E. WISHARD. Witnesses:

C.- M; MAXWELL, M. B. HARVEY. 

